Small group of Nova Scotia restorative justice caseworkers strike for better pay
"The caseworkers were supported at Monday’s rally by union activists, including Nova Scotia Federation of Labour president Danny Cavanagh. NDP Leader Gary Burrill also turned up in support, along with his party’s justice critic, Claudia Chender.
'While the government laudably has said that they support a restorative approach, that they want to keep people out of prisons … they are not backing that up with manpower and with dollars,' said Chender.
She said what the caseworkers are asking for is a 'drop in the bucket' in terms of government expenditures, pointing out that the province ended fiscal 2017-18 with a $230-million surplus.
'You have people who are handling 25 per cent of the caseload of the Justice Department,' Chender said. 'They are doing 90 per cent of what probation officers do for 57 per cent of the pay.'"